Members of Architek Percussion use sticks on a guitar to create sound. The quartet creates a variety of experimental music.

Architek Percussion, Susan Botti, Alan Syliboy, and Eliot Britton were recently at Truro Elementary to share a piece Britton composed for the Scotia Festival of Music.

TRURO, N.S. —

Children were smiling and slapping their hands to their thighs in time to the beat of drums during a recent show.
Montreal's Architek Percussion, New York soprano Susan Botti, Mi'kmaq percussionist and storyteller Alan Syliboy, and Métis composer and performer Eliot Britton were at the school for a performance June 5. They shared a piece of music Britton created for this year’s Scotia Festival of Music, which was held in Halifax.
“I liked hearing all the different types of music,” said Grade 5 student Molly Thompson. “I’ve never heard anything like that before.”
Molly plays several instruments herself and enjoys playing in front of a crowd.
“I don’t play instruments, but I like to listen to music,” said Kiedis Martin, another Grade 5 student. “I liked the xylophone; I think it’s pretty cool.”
Brandon Randall, a board member with the Scotia Music Festival, said the performance is part of the festival’s outreach series.
“The children should be exposed to art,” said Alan Syliboy. “They have no trouble understanding it.”
Composer Eliot Britton, who is from Brandon, Man., worked with the other musicians over the internet to put the piece together. It was performed at the Dunn Theatre, in Halifax, the night before it came to Truro.
“This is my first time working with Alan and I really enjoyed it,” he said.
“It’s great to bring this to the kids. Everyone loves beats and the power of singing.”